Several of John Rutter's original Christmas songs made it into the list of Colorado's top 50 favorite carols. Is it because of our "A John Rutter Christmas" program we are airing during this time? We think so!
A big thanks this year goes to our friends at St. Nick's Christmas and Collectibles in Littleton for graciously giving us a tour and telling stories about ornaments. Those stories give a little extra decoration to this special 10th annual Christmas Carol Countdown.
Check the schedule below for when the Carol Countdown airs throughout the holidays, and scroll down for a list of the 50 carols we'll feature as well as rankings from previous years.
- Thursday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 16 at 7 a.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 9 a.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 22 at 3 p.m.
- Christmas Day, Tuesday, Dec. 25 at noon
Tune in often and enjoy Colorado’s 50 favorite carols! Merry Christmas!
For more seasonal music from CPR Classical, check out our 2018 holiday programming schedule.
| TITLE | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 |
| O Holy Night | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Carol of the Bells | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13 |
| Silent Night | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 8 |
| O Come, O Come Emmanuel | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 8 | |
| In the Bleak Midwinter | 5 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 16 | 5 |
| Joy to the world | 6 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 36 | 9 | |
| Still, Still, Still | 7 | 9 | 17 | 14 | 8 | 19 | 13 | 19 | 28 | 3 |
| O come all ye faithful | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 10 |
| Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming | 9 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 2 |
| Angels we have heard on high | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 16 | 34 | 19 | 43 |
| What Child is This? | 11 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Holly & the Ivy | 12 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 7 |
| Hark! The herald angels sing | 13 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 20 | 23 | 22 |
| Coventry Carol | 14 | 12 | 19 | 23 | 12 | 16 | 29 | 10 | 7 | |
| God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen | 15 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 21 | 14 | 5 | 30 |
| Wexford Carol | 16 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 14 | 30 | 36 | 24 | ||
| White Christmas | 17 | 19 | 14 | 22 | 17 | 13 | 31 | 27 | ||
| Little Drummer Boy | 18 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 14 | |
| The First Noel | 19 | 21 | 10 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 28 | 28 | 26 | |
| Once in Royal David's City | 20 | 16 | 26 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 5 | 9 | 4 |
| Good King Wenceslas | 21 | 23 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 12 | 4 | 12 | 36 |
| It Came Upon the Midnight Clear | 22 | 24 | 22 | 15 | 23 | 20 | 17 | 31 | 11 | 19 |
| Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella | 23 | 20 | 18 | 25 | 20 | 19 | 25 | 17 | 26 | 12 |
| I'll Be Home for Christmas | 24 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 22 | 21 | 27 | |||
| The Christmas Song | 25 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 23 | 22 | 45 | 22 | |
| O Little Town of Bethlehem | 26 | 27 | 29 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 10 | 14 | 18 | |
| Away in a Manger | 27 | 28 | 23 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 18 | 20 | ||
| We Three Kings | 28 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 26 | 17 | 20 | 44 | 16 | |
| Deck the Halls | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 32 | 25 | 25 | |
| Ding Dong Merrily on High | 30 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 24 | 22 | 33 | |
| Mary Did You Know | 31 | 49 | 35 | 38 | ||||||
| Noel Nouvelet | 32 | 31 | 40 | 47 | 42 | 26 | 27 | |||
| I Wonder as I Wander | 33 | 48 | 31 | 36 | 39 | 35 | 33 | 10 | 32 | |
| What Sweeter Music | 34 | 47 | 33 | 37 | 44 | 15 | ||||
| Do You Hear What I Hear? | 35 | 38 | 45 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 39 | 17 | ||
| Gesu Bambino | 36 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 45 | 37 | 13 | ||
| Huron Carol | 37 | 42 | 34 | 32 | 33 | 36 | 37 | 30 | 31 | |
| I Saw Three Ships | 38 | 50 | 43 | 39 | 13 | 23 | ||||
| Gaudette | 39 | 40 | 43 | |||||||
| Silver Bells | 40 | 37 | 41 | 44 | 35 | 38 | 41 | 29 | 40 | |
| Of the Father's Love Begotten | 41 | 36 | 35 | 49 | 46 | 23 | 27 | |||
| For Unto Us a Child is Born | 42 | 33 | 39 | 48 | 32 | |||||
| Shepherd's Pipe Carol | 43 | 48 | ||||||||
| Candlelight Carol | 44 | 23 | 41 | |||||||
| Riu, Riu, Chiu | 45 | 34 | 49 | 37 | 30 | 21 | ||||
| Fum, Fum, Fum | 46 | 44 | 50 | 43 | ||||||
| Go Tell It on the Mountain | 47 | 33 | 36 | 33 | 40 | 32 | ||||
| I Wish you Christmas | 48 | 35 | 41 | |||||||
| Christmas Time is Here | 49 | 50 | 48 | |||||||
| Here We Come A Wassailing | 50 | 38 | 34 |
